Gaza City Clashes Between Hamas and Clan Members Leave 27 Lives Lost.
A minimum of 27 individuals have been claimed in intense confrontations between Hamas fighters and fighters of the Dughmush clan in the Gaza urban area, marking one of the most violent internal clashes since the conclusion of major Israeli operations in the region.
Masked Hamas fighters engaged in shooting with family militants near the city's healthcare center, according to observers.
Authority Statement
A top authority in the interior ministry under Hamas stated that security units blockaded them and engaged in heavy fighting to capture them. The authority reported that 8 its fighters were killed in "a violent offensive by a militia".
Medical sources confirmed that 19 Dughmush clan members and eight Hamas militants had been lost their lives since conflict started on the weekend.
Local Accounts
Observers reported that the confrontations broke out in the Tel al-Hawa area in south Gaza City after a Hamas force of over 300 militants moved to storm a residential block where Dughmush gunmen were fortified.
Local inhabitants described frightening moments as dozens of families fled their homes under intense shooting, with many of them having been forced to move frequently during the conflict.
"This time residents weren't escaping Israeli offensives," one resident stated. "They were running from their fellow Palestinians."
Existing Tensions
The Dughmush family, one of Gaza's most prominent clans, has long had a tense relationship with Hamas, and its militant members have confronted the organization on several occasions in the past.
The interior ministry under Hamas administration stated its personnel were seeking to restore order, alerting that "every paramilitary operation beyond the structure of the national struggle" would be handled strictly.
Conflicting Accounts
Both sides traded accusations over who initiated the violence for starting the conflict.
The movement earlier said that Dughmush gunmen eliminated two of its fighters and wounded five additional members, prompting the organization to launch an operation against them.
Conversely, a Dughmush family representative stated to regional press that Hamas forces had approached a building that previously functioned as the Jordanian Hospital, where the tribe had found sanctuary after their homes in the al-Sabra district were demolished in the recent Israeli attack.
The source claimed that the authority attempted to remove the clan from the structure to create a different command center for its units there.
Larger Background
Hamas has mobilized around 7,000 fighters of its security units to reestablish dominance over areas of Gaza previously evacuated by Israeli forces, according to area informants.
Accounts reveal that Hamas militant squads have been positioned across several districts, with particular units in non-uniform clothing and others in the blue attire of the Gaza law enforcement. The Hamas communication department rejected that it was positioning militants in public areas.
